Lottomatica and Golden Gaming Given Nevada Licensing Recommendations

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has put forth recommendations for interactive gaming licences for five subsidiaries of Italy’s Lottomatica Group, as well as for Synergy Online, owned by U.S casino operator Golden Gaming.

Lottomatica, the parent company of online lottery outfit GTECH G2 and slot manufacturer Spielo, hopes to provide online poker equipment and technology in a regulated market in the state.

Analysts expected Lottomatica to announce a partnership with a land-based casino in Nevada, which will allow the company to operate a gambling site under state regulations. GTECH G2 signed a free-play online poker deal in September 2011 with the Barona Resort & Casino in California, but a similar partnership will be needed in the Silver State.

Privately-owned Golden Gaming applied for an operator license last autumn. The company, which is Nevada’s largest tavern and slot route operator, is in talks with several software providers to launch an online poker site.

Both Lottomatica and Golden Gaming will have their applications heard by the Nevada Gaming Commission on January 24, and will likely become the 18th and 19th companies, respectively, to receive approval.

While industry leaders are hoping to launch real-money gaming this spring, there’s much to be resolved. Take traffic prospects, for example. With barely 3 million residents, there’s insufficient liquidity for Nevada to independently operate a successful igaming platform.

Sharing traffic pools is a viable solution. As a result, the Nevada Gaming Control Board submitted an amendment to regulations in the state legislature last month, proposing to pool liquidity with other states that have passed online gambling legislation.